The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu of a “disturbing” pattern of frequent foreign travel, claiming he has been absent from the country for nearly a quarter of his presidency.
In a statement on Thursday, the party criticised the President for prioritising international trips over pressing domestic issues such as widespread insecurity, poverty, and child malnutrition.
According to the ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, Tinubu’s latest trip marks his 40th international journey since taking office 26 months ago.
Abdullahi claimed that this has resulted in the President spending a cumulative total of approximately 181 days abroad, a record it called unprecedented for a Nigerian or African leader.
He also noted that Tinubu has visited more foreign countries than he has Nigerian states, having only travelled to 13 out of 36 states.
Abdullahi described the travels as wasteful, stating that there have been no real economic or diplomatic gains to justify the significant expenditure.
Abdullahi also raised concerns about the President’s recent disappearance from public view for more than a week, which sparked rumours about his health.
While the presidency denied the rumours, he argued that such absences could be damaging to the economy and might embolden criminals.
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Abdullahi suggested that if President Tinubu had appointed ambassadors, he would not need to personally attend every international meeting.
Abdullahi called on Tinubu to be more present in the country, stating that Nigeria “deserves a President who is present” and that governance should not be treated as a “part-time job.”
The Port City News earlier reported that Tinubu departed the country with some members on Thursday for Brazil and Japan.
In Japan, the President is expected to attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), scheduled to be held in Yokohama from 20 to 22 August.
After the conference, he will proceed to Brasília, Brazil, for a two-day state visit from 24 August, at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
